Royal Road of the Extra Scribe

14

The sudden attack on the Western Front by the Albad Kingdom.

Albad’s Second Division Commander, Gilias Melburn, and Third Division Commander, Yushis Goldray, launched a joint attack, causing casualties among key officers, including General Morgan Lothi, but they achieved victory due to the performance of the mercenary unit and the valiant efforts of some officers.

“─It seems like it will be a detailed report for the court before and after.”

Perzi calmly stated.

“Unbelievable! There was nothing about this guy!?”

Felix, the infantry captain, exploded in anger, pointing at me. He was set to be promoted for his performance in this battle.

“I’m fine, Captain Felix.”

It was actually nice that there was nothing about me.

“No, there was something about my younger brother. Strictly speaking, it’s not about Albus.”

“Not about me?”

“Merc Wade. It seems he’s evaluated at a level similar to Major Ilya in terms of expertise. The military apparently gives a hefty bounty for him.”

“Uh… I guess Ilya’s mentor should receive that in his place.”

I never expected Wade’s status to gain fame.

‘This part could be effectively utilized.’

Until the protagonist’s story earnestly progressed, I had planned to make preparations from behind to avert disaster. Wade’s identity was fitting for that purpose.

I decided to ask Joshua and Felix for surveillance.

They expressed doubt as to why they should assist in someone’s rise to power, but eventually nodded in understanding.

While we were discussing matters related to before and after for a while,

A figure entered the barracks with a presence.

“Can I have a moment?”

It was Vice Commander Ironheart.

A key officer, he was wounded in the arrow attack launched by Giliath but managed to survive by quickly taking cover.

“Vice Commander!”

“Are you alright!”

Upon his arrival, the sergeants, including Fergie, stood at attention.

Ironheart told them to relax and then glanced at me.

“You… you mentioned Al’s lineage.”

It seemed he recalled what I had foretold.

“Indeed, it seems things have unfolded as you said.”

“As I said? What are you talking about?”

“What you foretold last night.”

“Foretold? I don’t recall engaging in such behavior on my part.”

With a wry smile, Ironheart sighed and nodded.

“So be it. I’m truly grateful.”

If that incident were to become known, Ironheart would likely lose his standing.

Being labeled as an incompetent officer who ignored accurate predictions and put the entire army at risk.

This was a win-win situation for both of us.

I was glad that Al’s identity didn’t become famous, and Ironheart preserved his reputation.

“Regarding that, there’s currently a strange rumor circulating among the soldiers.”

“A strange rumor…?”

“Yes. It’s said that a Kirin appeared in our army and saved us from crisis.”

“….”

Despite sufficient surveillance, it seemed that some information had slipped through.

Felix and Joshua were avoiding my gaze with awkward expressions, as if feeling guilty.

“Furthermore, various pieces of information seem to have interacted in a complex manner. When you consolidate the information, it appears as if the actions of multiple bodies were concentrated in one person. It’s about the miraculous feat of Milias’ prodigy. I’m talking about Casper Milias.”

The cadets from the Julia Academy arrived for their training this time.

They each played their own roles in the battle that took place this morning.

While most of them were part of the support mission, Casper Millias was different.

“They say he commanded soldiers in the front lines.”

Of course, he didn’t make a significant impact that would turn the tide.

It was just the fact that he stood out which made him a symbol of victory, stealing the spotlight with his expertise and fame.

In the end, it felt like he had somewhat stolen my thunder.

“From now on, he’ll be praised as a hero. Are you okay with that?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. I was just a coward trembling in the corner.”

“Huh, an old hawk hides its talons, huh… Well, fine. If that’s what you want, I’ll leave it at that for now.”

Ironheart left, shaking his head.

After seeing him off, I began preparing in earnest for my return.

* * *

After what had happened, it was impossible to continue with the training.

As the training was coming to an end, orders were given for us cadets to tidy up and return home.

I decided to return to Rebelo, my territory, after bidding farewell to Illiya, the master who had agreed to help with the situation, and remaining with Julia and Ferge.

Since the military provided ample funds, I planned to get a good carriage from a nearby city.

But before that, Yumir somehow found out and arrived with the carriage first.

“Young master, I came to meet you after hearing from Miss Julia.”

“Thanks. You saved me the trouble.”

Yumir warmly smiled as he guided me to the carriage, but soon his expression turned grim as he noticed the large bruise on my temple.

“Young master, this…?”

“It’s a kind of decoration.”

“A wound on your head. Did you risk your life in battle?”

“To be honest, if my mother hadn’t provided me with a helmet, things could have been dangerous. But luckily, it turned out fine. I guess it’s my lucky charm now.”

Yumir bit his lip.

“I didn’t follow because that woman was with you. But to see you in this state…!”

“Don’t blame Illiya too much. Ultimately, it was my mistake.”

“But…!”

Yumir made up his mind and said, “I’ll stay by your side no matter what happens next time.”

“Sure. Even if I say no, you’ll secretly follow, right?”

“…”

He’s overly protective.

Even in the game, Yumir acted for Alsmann.

There was no romantic event with the protagonist, and it felt more like he lent his strength to Alsmann, who worked with the protagonist.

Yet, there was one reason she wasn’t included among the seven gods.

‘Considering the mess she caused towards the end of the story, there seems to be something deeper.’

Even though I tried to subtly probe, Yumir just shrugged, not understanding what she was talking about.

‘Well, it’ll be revealed in due time.’

Anyway, dealing with Yumir’s matters was naturally resolved by identifying traitors in advance, so I decided not to worry about it for now.

* * *

Returning to Rebell, I spent my time assisting my father once again.

The kingdom was naturally becoming noisy; the king condemned the sudden attack by the Albad Kingdom and formed an alliance with the neighboring country, the Crossing Republic, including a defense pact in response.

With this united response, Albad had no choice but to back down for the time being.

As each country engaged in diplomacy, there was a temporary lull in the situation.

At a point when this diplomatic phase was somewhat resolved, the palace declared a victory party on the western front along with celebrations for the strategic alliance with Crossing.

“Ah, Als. This has come for you.”

My father seemed quite surprised as he handed me an invitation.

It was an invitation to the palace party with the royal seal. Upon seeing it, Max and Miller were visibly astonished.

For the Viscount of Change, a palace party was something out of a dream.

“I don’t really want to go…”

“What are you saying, Als! You know the honor in attending such an event!”

Max raised his voice, clearly excited about the idea of a palace party after attending various parties for confidential discussions.

“This is a must-attend event! Just by attending, our family’s prestige will rise!”

“Will Fergie and Julia be going too?”

My father nodded vaguely.

“Julia did not receive an invitation. It seems Fergie did, though.”

It seemed invitations were based on one’s specialty.

“Then, isn’t it strange that I received an invitation?”

Externally, I was practically non-existent in terms of my specialty.

There seemed to be another reason for this.

“It seems all the noble trainees who participated in the battlefield are invited. They must see them as future leaders.”

“In that case, I won’t receive much attention.”

Except for Casper and Viscount Herald’s son, the rest would likely just be filling seats.

“Well then, I will go.”

It seemed like it would be fun to see the game characters at the party.

Mother smiled proudly and said, “I was planning to gift you the ceremonial attire I had prepared, but… it can’t be helped. Yumir, will you bring that outfit?”

“Yes, madam.”

And so, due to the decision to attend the palace party, I had to spend some time receiving etiquette education.

* * *

Arriving in the capital for the party, I wandered the city with Fergie.

Alpenserd, the capital boasting a population of 1.1 million.

This city was a major metropolis, with the population just within the city where the palace was located being around 200,000, making it one of the top cities on the continent.

“It definitely has too many people…”

Compared to the historical background, this world had an unusually large population.

In modern terms, this place was situated between the medieval and early modern periods, and the fact that a medium-sized country could muster up to 200,000 troops in this environment was certainly peculiar.

While I thought the numbers were inflated for the sake of enjoyment in the game, the scale of the military was indeed large in reality.

The reason for this was simple.

It was due to the highly advanced medical system.

In this world, magic practically doesn’t exist. It is said that magic was put into practice due to the dispute between gods thousands of years ago.

Although many magics disappeared, the illumination magic that brightens the night and the sacred magic that heals wounds have been continuing to this day, and among them, the effect of the sacred magic was remarkable.

As long as it’s not completely crushed or a part of the body is cut and disappears, with enough time, most wounds would heal.

Together with the development of herbal medicine, the medical system was well-equipped even for diseases.

This brought about a population explosion, and the estimated population of this continent is currently around 50 million.

Considering the actual medieval Europe had a population of around 70 million at most, it might seem rather small, but this world is about one-third the size of Europe. In terms of population density, it was about twice as high.

“Alse, what are you doing? I know you’re excited to be in the capital, but if you stand around absentmindedly, you’ll end up getting lost.”

Fuzzy brother said with a smile.

“Let’s go. It’s better to move quickly. It will take at least an hour to prepare.”

“Yes, brother.”

Following Fuzzy brother, we arrived at a place that resembled a beauty salon.

We had made an appointment to get styled at this place exclusively for nobles.

The woman who seemed to be the owner of this place looked at me with sparkling eyes.

“Oh my, what a handsome young man I see after a long time?”

The woman, introducing herself as Tiothera, showed sincere interest in me.

“Leave it to me. I’ll quickly turn you into the star of the party.”

Fuzzy brother warned her, as she was overly enthusiastic.

“We are soldiers. Being too flashy is inappropriate.”

“Don’t be like that. Can I see the outfit you’ve prepared first? I’ll style accordingly.”

I handed her the ceremonial attire my parents had prepared.

Tiothera sat me down and started busily working on my hair and clothes.

Not particularly interested in styling, I decided to gaze out the window.

“It’s quite lively.”

Usually, when a party is held at the royal palace, there’s an image of exploiting the commoners, but surprisingly, it seems to have a cyclical structure here.

The city was also exuding a festive atmosphere, promoting consumption.

“It’s done!”

When I looked in the mirror, the styling was quite elegant.

On the other hand, Fuzzy brother neatly combed his hair back and dressed in a military-like manner.

Dressed in ceremonial attire from head to toe, we moved to board the carriage prepared to enter the royal palace.

Even in the short moment of movement, eyes were drawn from all directions.

Soon enough, a girl who appeared to be around 8 years old ran up and handed me a flower.

“Please take this!”

“Thank you. It’s a beautiful flower.”

“hehehe.”

The child ran back to her sister with a bashful smile. The sister looked envious of her brave younger sibling.

“Really.”

Fuzzy brother sighed, feeling amazed.

“If only half of that popularity went to Max brother, it would have been great.”

“Why suddenly Max, sir?”

“Max can’t seem to get married, so Miller and I are also avoiding marriage consultations. It’s a situation where we could do it if we wanted to…”

“Is Lord Fergie seeing someone?”

“A fellow officer. An admirer from the same viscount family. Perhaps you’ll have a chance to see her when you’re commissioned in the military.”

“Meeting through a formal visit would be best before that.”

“Hmph, that would be nice.”

With that, as Fergie and I chatted, we soon arrived at the place where the carriage was ready.